#SayItAintSo: Voice of Elmo On Leave After Denying Relationship W/ Teen

 Double You. Tee. Eff.

Now this....this breaks my heart!

Kevin Clash, the voice behind one of America's most lovable children's characters, is currently fending off allegations that he engaged in inappropriate behavior with a teenage male while working at the Sesame Street Workshops. 

In June, the workshop heard from a 23-year-old man who claimed that he had "a relationship" with Clash beginning when he was 16 years old, the workshop said in a written statement.

The statement did not use the word "sexual."

"We took the allegation very seriously and took immediate action. We met with the accuser twice and had repeated communications with him. We met with Kevin, who denied the accusation. We also conducted a thorough investigation and found the allegation of underage conduct to be unsubstantiated. Although this was a personal relationship unrelated to the workplace, our investigation did reveal that Kevin exercised poor judgment and violated company policy regarding internet usage and he was disciplined," the Sesame Street Workshop statement said.

"Kevin insists that the allegation of underage conduct is false and defamatory and he is taking actions to protect his reputation. We have granted him a leave of absence to do so.

Ay yi yi! Of course, Mr. Clash's absence won't keep Elmo from appearing in current or future Sesame Street airings. (Thank Goodness!)  But whether these allegations are true or not, this is still sad. 

Original article here: